PREFERENCE OF HOST PLANTS FOR NESTING BY BAYA WEAVER BIRD, PLOCEUS PHILIPPINUS IN THE AGRO-CLIMATIC ZONES OF SEMI-ARID TROPICAL ANDHRAPRADESH

摘要

Nests are built by birds on different plants for laying their eggs for safety and rear the young ones. Baya weaver bird (Ploceus phillippinus L) builds intricately woven nests (pendulous nests) as attractive bottle-like hanging nests in colonies on different tree species, and also some times on telephone and electrical wires. Observations on preference of host plants for nesting by P. phillippinus during breeding season in three agro-climatic zones of the semi-arid region of Andhra Pradesh showed that Baya weaver birds preferred trees nearer to agricultural farms with irrigated fields. They used 22 species of trees for nesting probably because of the greater availability of thin and thorny branching, the long light weight stem trees. Prosopisjuliflora and Acacia arabica were the most preferred tree species in the selected zones; these trees being characterized by thorny branches and light weight stems that not only kept the predators away but also provided enough protection. In Southern Telangana Zone 13 species of trees were identified with 65.2 % of completed nests while in Northern Telangana Zone, 12 species of trees were identified with 59.3 % of completed nests and suitable for successive breeding. In the Krishna zone only 7 tree species were colonized with 53.1% completed nests.